マルヴァーニャのおすすめランニングルート

This is really a really beautiful spot!!

Very cold water all year round. Very busy in summer. After rain in winter, the gorge is partially closed due to the risk of floods.

The formation of the Alcantara riverbed can be traced back to around 300,000 years ago, although the current configuration of the river in the gorge section is mainly the result of the lava flows that occurred in the last 8,000 years. The interaction between the river water and the underlying magmatic mass played a crucial role in this process, causing accelerated cooling. This phenomenon has generated a series of irregular fractures, some of which have a chaotic arrangement, while others show a more regular geometry. Among these formations, we can identify prismatic structures of various configurations, including those known as "woodpiles," "harps," "rosettes," and the impressive vertical formations called "organ pipes," which can reach remarkable heights, even up to 30 meters.

These are real canyons formed by very high lava walls. We are in one of the most spectacular places in Sicily: until the 1950s the site was unknown, perhaps for this reason it has been preserved so beautiful and intact.

At the end of September, ticket sales for €1.50 close at 6 p.m. In the Italian manner, but also a little earlier.

We were in the gorge at the end of October, and the river was carrying quite a lot of water at that time, so we had to turn around in both directions in good time. But there was relatively little going on, and the rock formations and the nature around them are really fantastic! If you are mobile, you can drive up to the nearby mountain village of Motta Camastra before or after the hike, and with a bit of luck you will catch a glimpse of Mount Etna, if it is not covered in clouds!

There is also free parking in the area. Admission for the narrow stairs €1.50. It's worth it!

Here you can do a little hike on the river Alcantara. The car can be conveniently parked under the bridge